The present invention relates to a card reader module, particularly a motorized card reader module, for resisting fraud. The invention is particularly related to preventing fraud at a self-service terminal (SST), such as an ATM (automated teller machine), a point of sale (PoS) terminal, or any other terminal using a motorized card reader module.
ATMs typically store large amounts of cash. This makes them vulnerable to attack by thieves. To combat physical attack, ATMs include a safe for storing the cash. However, ATMs are also vulnerable to attack by fraud.
One type of fraud involves a third party placing a loop of thin, strong, material over a card entry slot in the ATM. The material is so thin that it may not be noticed by an unwary user of the ATM. The material is designed so that:
(1) it prevents a user""s card from fully entering a motorized card reader module located behind the card entry slot, and
(2) it prevents the entered user""s card from being ejected from the motorized card reader module.
Thus, the design of this material causes an entered card to jam in the module so that the module cannot draw in or eject the card. When this happens, the user generally assumes that the ATM has gone out of service and goes away from the ATM, leaving his/her card jammed in the card reader module.
The third party can then extract the card from the card reader module, remove the thin material, and (if the third party has observed or otherwise obtained the user""s PIN) use the card to withdraw cash from the ATM.
It is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to reduce the possibility of this type of fraud.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a motorized card reader module characterized in that the module includes a trap mechanism operable to trap a card within the card reader module in response to the card reader module detecting a card within the module that cannot be transported.
By virtue of this aspect of the invention when a card is stuck within the module the module is able to trap the card therein, thereby preventing a third party or the authorized card holder from removing the card from the module. This safeguards the card without damaging it in any way.
The card reader module may be able to read data from and write data to a card (that is, it may be a card read/write module), or it may only be able to read data from a card.
Preferably, the trap mechanism is implemented by a width switch and an associated interlock, where the width switch is located within a throat portion of the card reader module and has an arm that is deflected by insertion of a card.
Conventional card reader modules use a width switch to ensure that a shutter within the module is only opened when a card of correct width is inserted, the width of the card being determined by deflection of the width switch. In a preferred embodiment, the width switch is locked in a non-deflected position when a card is to be trapped within the module. This has two advantages.
(i) any tampering with the switch (e.g. jamming it in the deflected position) to overcome this security measure will be evident to the card reader as the switch must move normally (from the open to the closed position) during a transaction
(ii) a conventional card reader module only requires slight modification for use in the present invention.
By locking the width switch, the throat portion becomes too narrow for a card to be removed therethrough.
The trap mechanism may be activated using software and/or firmware and/or hardware control.
Preferably, the card reader module is operable, on detecting that the trap mechanism cannot trap an entered card, to activate a magnetic head located in a throat portion of the card reader module to erase data stored on a magnetic stripe on the entered card. This has the advantage that if the trap mechanism is unable to trap an entered card because part of the card is still in contact with the trap mechanism, then a magnetic head may be used to erase the data on the card so that the card is much less valuable to a fraudulent third party.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a self-service terminal comprising a fascia defining a card entry slot, and a card reader module located behind the card entry slot, characterized in that the module includes a trap mechanism operable to trap a card within the card reader module in response to the card reader module detecting a card within the module that cannot be transported.
The terminal may be an ATM.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a motorized card reader module including a shutter and a width switch, characterized in that the width switch is operable to trap a card within the card reader module in response to the card reader module detecting a card within the module that cannot be transported.
The module may include a throat portion having a magnetic read/write head located so that only items of the correct width (as determined by the width switch) and having magnetic data (detected by the magnetic read/write head) are recognized as magnetic cards.
The module may be operable, on detecting that the width switch cannot trap a card within the module, to activate the read/write head to erase any data stored on a magnetic stripe in a card located in the vicinity of the width switch.
The module may activate an alarm on detecting a card within the module that cannot be transported. This alarm may be audible or visual, and may be relayed automatically to an appropriate person, for example to a person authorized to service the terminal.
The card reader module may use sensors to detect that a card cannot be transported (that is, having jammed). The event of a card having jammed may be indicated by any convenient technique. For example, where a first sensor detects the presence of a card and a second sensor does not detect the presence of the card a predetermined time after the first sensor detected the presence of the card. Another example is where a sensor continuously detects the presence of a card for a predetermined time interval. A further example is where a sensor detects the presence of a card for a predetermined time during attempted transportation of the card in a forward direction and the same sensor detects the presence of the card for a predetermined time during attempted transportation of the card in a reverse direction. Any one or any combination of these techniques may be used to detect that a card cannot be transported.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of preventing fraud, the method comprising the steps of: providing a trap mechanism for trapping a card within a card reader module; detecting entry of a card into the card reader module; monitoring transport of the card within the card reader module; and, in response to detection of a failure of the card reader module to transport the card correctly, activating the trap mechanism to trap the card.
The method may include the further step of displaying on a monitor a message informing the user about the capture of his/her card.
The method may include the steps of detecting continued activation of a first sensor but not detecting activation of a second sensor within a predetermined time. The first sensor may be a width sensor (width switch) for sensing the width of the card, and/or a magnetic stripe detecting sensor for detecting the correct orientation of a card. The magnetic stripe detecting sensor may be a magnetic read/write head.
The second sensor may be a read head sensor located in the vicinity of a magnetic card reading head within the card reader module.
The method may include the step of: on detecting that the trap mechanism is unable to trap the card, activating a read/write head for erasing any data stored on the card. The trap mechanism may be unable to trap the card if the card jams while maintaining the width switch in a deflected position.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of preventing fraud, the method comprising the steps of: providing a magnetic head for erasing data stored on a magnetic stripe carried by a card; detecting entry of a card into the card reader module; monitoring transport of the card within the card reader module; and, in response to detection of a failure of the card reader module to transport the card correctly, activating the magnetic head to erase any data stored on the stripe on the card.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a motorized card reader module characterized in that the module includes a magnetic head operable to erase data stored by a magnetic stripe on a card in response to the card reader module detecting a card within the module that cannot be transported.
Preferably, the magnetic head is located in a throat portion of the module.
The magnetic head may be an erase coil or a magnetic read/write head.
The module may erase data by passing an erase current through the magnetic head.